Pumping unit for deep wells or bores



y 1967 L. R. NICHOLLS 3,332,355

PUMPING UNIT FOR DEEP WELLS OR BORES Filed Sept. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR LEON/4RD REGINALD NICHOLLS 73y O Q ATT'O RNEYS 20 y 1957 1.. R. NICHOLLS 3,332,355

PUMPING UNIT FOR DEEP WELLS OR BORES Filed Sept. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEIYTGR LEONA RD REGINALD NICHOLLS i M O ZT United States Patent PUMPING UNIT FOR DEEP WELLS OR BORES Leonard R. Nicholls, 14 Wotan St., lnualoo, Western Australia, Australia Filed Sept. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 486,017

Claims priority, application Australia, Sept. 25, 1964,

49,772/64 Claims. (Cl. 1tl3158) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A pumping unit for deep wells comprising master, main and slave pumps, the master pump being substantially at ground level, the main pump being adjacent water level and the slave pump being adjacent the main pump and connected to the master pump. The piston of the slave pump is connected to the body of the main pump and remains stationary; the cylinder of the slave pump is connected to the piston of the main pump and moves up and down with the movement of the cylinder of the master pump and the cylinder of the slave pump is also connected to the cylinder of the master pump.

This invention relates to a pumping unit for deep wells or bores of the type wherein the main pump is situated adjacent the water level in the well or bore and operation thereof is effected through a slave pump which is coupled to a master pump situated on or adjacent the surface.

In one form the invention resides in a pumping unit for deep wells or bores which comprises a master pump situated at or near the surface of the ground and connected to a slave pump situated adjacent a main pump positioned adjacent the water level in the well or bore characterised in that the piston of the slave pump is fixed to the body of the main pump and remains stationary and in that the cylinder of the slave pump is connected to the piston of the main pump and moves up and down with the movement of the master pump.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of one specific embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the master pump;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the slave pump and the main pump;

FIG. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a section on line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a section of the master pump on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 8 is a section on line 88 of FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawings the body 11 (see FIG. 2) of the main pump is substantially cylindrical, the lower end thereof being provided with a foot valve 12 of conventional design, which is positioned below the level of water in the well or bore. The piston 13 of the main pump is provided with a conventional one-way valve 14 and is connected to one end of a pair of rods 15, which pass through the bottom end of a substantially cylindrical housing 16 surrounding and spaced apart from the cylinder 17 of a slave pump the other end of the rods being connected to the cylinder 17 of the slave pump. The cylinder 11 of the main pump is fixed to and projects downwardly from the bottom of the housing 16. The piston 18 of the slave pump is mounted on the upper end of a rod 19, the lower end of which is fixed to the lower end of the housing 16. The upper end of the housing 16 is connected to the lower end of a length of flexible pipe 20, the upper end of which is connected to a housing 21 surrounding the master pump positioned adjacent the 3,332,355 Patented July 25, 1967 surface of the ground. The piston 22 of the master pump is fixed to one end of a rod 23 the other end of which is fixed to a block 24 positioned within the housing 21. The upper end of the cylinder 25 of the master pump is connected to the lower end of two rods 26, the upper ends of which are connected to the pump rod 27 of a windmill or other suitable power unit. The lower end of the cylinder 25 of the master pump is connected to the cylinder 17 of the slave pump through a second length of flexible piping 28 which is positioned inside the first length of flexible piping 20.

The cylinder 25 of the master pump is provided adjacent its upper end with a series of ports 29 which are used for priming the pumping unit. If we assume that the cylinder 11, the housing 16, the flexible pipe 20 and the housing 21 are filled with water when the cylinder 25 of the master pump is lowered so that the port holes 29 are below the piston 22, water will flow through the ports 29 until the portion of the cylinder 17 of the slave pump above the piston 18, the flexible pipe 28 and the portion of the cylinder 25 of the master pump below the ports 29 and the piston 22 are filled with water. The cylinder 25 is then raised until the ports 29 are above the piston 22 and the stroke of the cylinder 25 is such that at the lowermost point of its movement the ports 29 do not move below the piston 22.

If it is assumed that the pumping unit is stationary and that the piston 22 of the master pump is adjacent the upper end of the master pump cylinder 25, the piston 18 of the slave pump will be adjacent the upper end of the slave pump cylinder 17 and the piston 13 of the main pump will be adjacent the lower end of the main pump cylinder 11, both flexible pipes 28 and 20 being filled with Water. As the pump rod 27 moves upwardly, the piston 22 of the master pump will remain stationary and the master pump cylinder 25 will move up. Water will be forced from the cylinder 25 down through the inner flexible pipe 28 into the slave pump cylinder 17. At the same time the slave pump cylinder 17 will be forced upwardly by the pressure of water acting on the inner shoulder 33 of the slave cylinder so that the Water in the cylinder 11 of the main pump above the piston 13 will be lifted by medium of rods 15 connecting the piston 13 to the slave cylinder 17 and forced upwardly through ports 30 in the lower end of the housing 16, through the annular space between the housing 16 and the cylinder 17 of the slave pump, through the annular space between the outer flexible pipe 20 and the inner flexible pipe 28 and through ports 31 in the block 24, through the upper end of the housing 21 into a delivery line 32. On the return stroke of the pump rod 27 the water in the cylinder 17 of the slave pump above the piston 18 will be returned upwardly through the flexible pipe 28 into the cylinder 25 of the master pump by the pressure of water in outer flexible pipe 20 acting on the outer shoulder 33 of the slave pump cylinder 17 forcing cylinder 17 and piston 13 downwardly.

I claim:

1. A pumping unit for deep wells or bores which comprises a master pump having a cylinder and a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder, said master pump being situated .at or near the surface of the ground, a slave pump having a cylinder and a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder, said slave pump being connected to said master pump, a main pump having a body and a piston slidably mounted within said body, said main pump being situated adjacent the slave pump, the main pump also being positioned adjacent the water level in the well or bore, characterised in that the piston of the slave pump is fixed to the body of the main pump and remains stationary and in that the cylinder of the slave pump is connected to the piston of the main pump and moves up or down with the movement of the cylinder of the master pump.

2. A pumping unit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the main pump is provided with an outlet and a flexible pipe is provided which pipe connects the cylinder of the slave pump to the cylinder of the master pump such that the cylinder of the slave pump moves in unison with the movement of the cylinder of the master pump and a flexible delivery line is connected to the outlet of the main pump.

3. A pumping unit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the flexible delivery line is positioned concentrically around the flexible pipe connecting the cylinder of the slave pump to the cylinder of the master pump.

4. A pumping unit for deep Wells or bores which comprises a master pump having a cylinder and a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder said master pump being situated at or near the surface of the ground, a slave pump having a cylinder and a piston slidably mounted within said cylinder, said slave pump being connected to said master pump, a main pump having a cylinder and a piston slidab ly mounted within said cylinder, said main pump being situated adjacent the slave pump, the main pump also being positioned adjacent the water level in the well or bore, characterised in that a foot valve is provided in the lower end of the main pump; a conventional one way valve is provided in the piston of the main pump; a substantially cylindrical housing is provided surrounding and spaced apart from the cylinder of the slave pump, the cylinder of the main pump being fixed to and projecting downwardly from the bottom of said housing; a pair of rods is provided which pass through the bottom end of said housing, one end of said rods being connected to the piston of the main pump the other end of the rods being connected to the cylinder of the slave pump; a third rod is provided the upper end of which is connected to the piston of the slave pump and the lower end of which is fixed to the lower end of the housing; a first length of flexible pipe is provided the lower end of which is connected to the upper end of the housing; a second substantially cylindrical housing is provided surrounding and spaced apart from the master pump, the upper end of said flexible pipe being connected to said second housing; a fourth rod is provided one end of which is fixed to the piston of the master pump the other end of which is fixed to a block positioned within the second housing; a second pair of rods is provided the lower end of which is connected to the upper end of the cylinder of the master pump; a windmill or other power unit having a pump rod is provided the upper end of the second pair of rods being connected to the lower end of said pump rod; and a second length of flexible piping is provided said second length being positioned Within said first length of flexible piping and connecting the lower end of the cylinder of the master pump with the upper end of the cylinder of the slave pump.

5. A pumping unit as claimed in claim 4 wherein a series of priming ports are provided in the cylinder of the master pump adjacent its upper end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,437,147 11/1922 Keller 103-156 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner.

HENRY F. RADUAZO, Examiner. 

1. A PUMPING UNIT FOR DEEP WELLS OR BORES WHICH COMPRISES A MASTER PUMP HAVING A CYLINDER AND A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, SAID MASTER PUMP BEING SITUATED AT OR NEAR THE SURFACE OF THE GROUND, A SLAVE PUMP HAVING A CYLINDER AND A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER, SAID SLAVE PUMP BEING CONNECTED TO SAID MASTER PUMP, A MAIN PUMP HAVING A BODY AND A PISTON SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID BODY, SAID MAIN PUMP BEING SITUATED ADJACENT THE SLAVE PUMP, THE MAIN PUMP ALSO BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT THE WATER LEVEL IN THE WELL OR BORE, CHARACTERISED IN THAT THE PISTON OF THE SLAVE PUMP IS FIXED TO THE BODY OF THE MAIN PUMP AND REMAINS STATIONARY AND IN THAT THE CYLINDER OF THE SLAVE 